Origin and Habitat: Northern Chile (Near Totoral, Atacama)

• Copiapoa dura F.Ritter

• Copiapoa echinoides (Lem.) Britton ex Rose in Britton & Rose
• Echinocactus echinoides Lem. ex Salm-Dyck
• Copiapoa bridgesii (Pfeiff.) Backeb.
• Copiapoa marginata var. bridgesii (Pfeiff.) A.E.Hoffm.
• Echinocactus bridgesii Pfeiff.
• Copiapoa cupreata (Poselg. ex Rümpler) Backeb.
• Echinocactus cupreatus Poselg. ex Rümpler
• Hildmannia cupreata (Poselg. ex Rümpler) Kreuz. & Buining
• Neoporteria tuberisulcata var. cupreata (Poselg. ex Rümpler) Donald & G.D.Rowley
• Copiapoa dura F.Ritter
• Copiapoa echinoides var. cuprea (F.Ritter) A.E.Hoffm.
• Copiapoa cuprea F.Ritter
• Copiapoa macracantha (Salm-Dyck) Mereg.
• Echinocactus macracanthus Salm-Dyck

Description: Copiapoa duraSN|1109]]SN|14234]] is a local or morphological form of the widespread and variable Copiapoa echinoidesSN|14234]]SN|1109]]. It has a dark purplish-brown stem and very thick curved amber-maroon to black spines. However the distinguishing characteristics of Copiapoa duraSN|1109]]SN|14234]], appear to fall within the natural variation of Copiapoa echinoidesSN|14234]]SN|1109]] and it should be synonymized with the latter.
Habit: Solitary, or forming dense clumps.
Stem: Spherical, firm, dark tannish-green to very dark-purple and woolly apically, 12 to 20 cm tall, 18 cm in diameter.
Ribs: 11 to 17 , truncated.
Roots: Fibrous.
Areoles: Yellowish, becoming grey with age.
Spines: Maroon-reddish to pure black, straight or (usually) somewhat curved upward.
Central spines: 0 to 3, 1 to 3(-5) cm long.
Radial spines: 5 to 10, 2.5 cm long.
Flowers: Scented, pale yellow, 4 cm in diameter.
Fruit: Brownish-red, round with a few scales 2.5 cm long.
Seeds: Black.

Notes: This appears to be a very variable species.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Faundez, L., Walter, H.E., Guerrero, P., Saldivia, P. & Avilés, R. 2013. Copiapoa echinoides. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 08 May 2015.
2) F. Ritter “Kakteen in Sudamerika” Volume 3. 1980
3) A. Hoffmann, H. Walter “Cactáceas en la flora Silvestre de Chile” Ediciones Fundacion Claudio Gay, Santiago, Chile. Second Edition. 2004
4) Charles “Copiapoa. The Cactus file Handbook 4” Cirio Publ. 1998
5) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
6) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey “The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass” Cambridge University Press, 11/Aug/2011
7) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006
8) Wikipedia contributors. "Copiapoa echinoides." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 Nov. 2014. Web. 8 May. 2015.
9) Urs Eggli, Leonard E. Newton “Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names.” Birkhäuser 2004
10) N. L. Britton, J. N. Rose “The Cactaceae. Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family.” Volume III, The Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington 1922
11) Michail Belov. "Encyclopedia of the Chilean Flora: Copiapoa echinoides" http://www.chileflora.com Web. 8 May. 2015.

Cultivation and Propagation: The location has to be warm and bright, and it has to be in direct sun. Otherwise the bodies tend to elongate in cultivation, but they should be protected from excessive heat and sun in summer. In the spring and late summer, water moderately. Between these times there are dry rest periods. In the winter keep the plant absolutely dry. The roots need a lot of room, so make sure that the pot is large enough. Use regular cacti soil with very good drainage.
Propagation: Seeds (offsets rarely), Grafting is often used to speed growth rate of seedlings and to create a back-up to plants in collection.